Method and apparatus for providing a graphical user interface for a player/recorder system

Abstract

In a player/recorder system, a graphical user interface method allows central control of one or more tracks of a plurality of audio processing modules. The plurality of audio processing modules are connected to a computer system having a processor and a display. The method includes the steps of generating a first display portion on the display by the processor, the first display portion including one or more control boxes to control a corresponding one or more tracks of the plurality of audio processing modules and generating a second display portion on the display by the processor, the second display including a central control mechanism for controlling all of the one or more tracks of the audio processing modules.

1. A graphical user interface (GUI) of a player/recorder system comprising:
 a first display portion including a plurality of control boxes each corresponding to one or more of a plurality of player tracks associated with at least one audio processing module; 
 a second display portion displayed concurrently with the first display portion, the first display portion further comprising a scroll bar that provides access to the plurality of control boxes that are loaded into the player/recorder system but are not visible on a screen displaying the GUI; the second display portion including a central control mechanism for substantially simultaneously controlling all of the plurality of tracks of the at least one audio processing module; and 
 a third display portion displayed concurrently with the first display portion and the second display portion to produce the GUI, the third display portion including a plurality of recorder control boxes each adapted to control one or more of a plurality of recorder tracks associated with the at least one audio processing module. 
 
   
   
     2. The GUI of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of control boxes including at least one selection button that, when selected, performs a predetermined function on two or more of the plurality of tracks concurrently. 
   
   
     3. The GUI of  claim 2 , wherein the selection button mutes at least two player tracks of the plurality of player tracks after the plurality of player tracks start playing. 
   
   
     4. The GUI of  claim 1 , wherein the third display portion comprises a record button for each specific track of the plurality of recorder tracks and wherein the record button is selectable to transmit a record command to an audio processing module having the specific track to cause the specific track to record an audio sound. 
   
   
     5. The GUI of  claim 1 , wherein the central control mechanism is selectable to transmit a global control command associated with the central control mechanism to the at least one audio processing module to perform a function assigned to the global control command. 
   
   
     6. The GUI of  claim 1 , wherein the second display portion includes a global stop button to control the tracks of the at least one audio processing module. 
   
   
     7. In a player/recorder system having a plurality of audio processing modules each having one or more tracks and each connected to a computer system having a processor and a display, a graphical user interface method of centrally controlling each of the one or more tracks of the plurality of audio processing modules, the method comprising:
 generating a first display portion on the display by the processor, the first display portion including a plurality of player control boxes each adapted to control at least one player track of an audio processing module of the plurality of audio processing modules; 
 generating a second display portion on the display by the processor, the second display portion including a central control mechanism for simultaneously controlling all of the plurality of tracks of each of the plurality of audio processing modules; the first display portion further comprising a scroll bar that provides access to the plurality of control boxes that are loaded into the player/recorder system but are not visible on a screen displaying the GUI and 
 generating a third display portion on the display concurrently with the first display portion and the second display portion, the third display portion including a plurality of recorder control boxes each adapted to control at least one recorder track of an audio processing module of the plurality of audio processing modules. 
 
   
   
     8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 selecting one of the player control boxes corresponding to one of the plurality of player tracks; 
 transmitting a control command associated with the one of the player control boxes from the computer system to a determined audio processing module having the one of the tracks; and 
 performing a function assigned to the control command at the determined audio processing module. 
 
   
   
     9. The method of  claim 8 :
 wherein each audio processing modules has one or more input/output (“I/O”) channels each connected to the computer system; 
 wherein the control boxes control a corresponding one or more I/O channels of the plurality of audio processing modules; 
 wherein transmitting the control command comprises transmitting the control command from the computer system to the audio processing module having the I/O channel corresponding to the specified control box; and 
 wherein performing a function comprises performing a task assigned to the control command by the audio processing module with respect to the I/O channel. 
 
   
   
     10. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 selecting a record button of a specific recorder track of the at least one recorder tracks; 
 transmitting a record command from the computer system to an audio processing module having the specific recorder track; and 
 causing the specific recorder track to record an audio sound by the audio processing module. 
 
   
   
     11. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 selecting the central control mechanism; 
 transmitting a global control command associated with the central control mechanism from the computer system to the plurality of audio processing modules; and 
 each audio processing module, performing a function assigned to the global control command by the audio processing module. 
 
   
   
     12. The method of  claim 11 :
 wherein each audio processing module has one or more input/output (“I/O”) channels each connected to the computer system; 
 wherein the central control mechanism controls all of the one or more I/O channels of the plurality of audio processing modules; 
 wherein transmitting the global command comprises global control command associated with the central control mechanism from the computer system to the plurality of audio processing modules; and 
 wherein performing a function comprises performing a task assigned to the global command by each audio processing module with respect to all of the I/O channels. 
 
   
   
     13. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the central control mechanism comprises a global play command for simultaneously controlling all of the loaded player tracks of the plurality of tracks of the audio processing modules and wherein the method further comprises:
 selecting the global play command; 
 transmitting the global play command from the computer system to the plurality of audio processing modules; and 
 each audio processing module, causing all the loaded player tracks to each play an audio sound. 
 
   
   
     14. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the central control mechanism comprises a global stop command for simultaneously controlling all of the loaded tracks of the plurality of audio tracks of the audio processing modules and wherein the method further comprises:
 selecting the global stop command; 
 transmitting the global stop command from the computer system to the plurality of audio processing modules; and 
 each audio processing module, causing all the loaded tracks to each stop any play or record activity. 
 
   
   
     15. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
 generating a first display portion on a display of a player/recorder system, the first display portion including a plurality of control boxes to control a corresponding one or more of a plurality of player tracks of each of a plurality of audio processing modules, the first display portion further comprising a scroll bar that provides access to the plurality of control boxes that are loaded into the player/recorder system but are not visible on a screen displaying the GUI; 
 generating a second display portion on the display, the second display portion including a central control mechanism for simultaneously controlling all of the plurality of tracks of each of the plurality of audio processing modules; and 
 generating a third display portion displayed concurrently with the first display portion on the display, the third display portion including a plurality of recorder control boxes each to control a corresponding one or more of a plurality of recorder tracks of each of the plurality of audio processing modules. 
 
   
   
     16. The medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions which, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform further operations comprising:
 receiving a selection of one of the control boxes corresponding to one of the tracks; and 
 transmitting a control command associated with the one of the control boxes to an audio processing module having the one of the tracks. 
 
   
   
     17. The medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions which, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform further operations comprising:
 receiving a selection of the central control mechanism; and 
 transmitting a global control command associated with the central control mechanism to the plurality of audio processing modules.